Literally hundreds of books have been
written about the about the Civil Rights movement in the United States
While many books and movies have included
passing mention or included scenes about the impact of race relations on the
music industry and musical acts of that era, I don’t think that to overall
impact of music and the music industry on race relations has ever really been
given its full due in having a major impact on civil rights.
While it is certainly not the sole focus of
Respect Yourself: Stax Records and the
Soul Explosion by long time Memphis
The story of the brother and sister team of
Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton, the founders of the seminal soul music record
label, Stax Records is astounding on many fronts, not the least of which is the
impact that these two southern whites had on sparking the explosion of soul
music hits that that quite literally was a catalyst in the evolution of race
relations in this country.
For years we have seen and heard stories
about record labels and music executives that put the screws to music artists,
notably black songwriters and performers, but the hose job that the brain trust
of Atlantic Records Pulled on Stax records could be the high watermark a
musical screwing.
In the end, Respect Yourself is about the music and the laundry list of amazing
talent that called Stax Records home. The remarkable list includes; Otis
Redding, Wilson Pickett, Booker T. and the M.G.s, Isaac Hayes and The Staple
Singers among many more. The way Gordon weaves the story of the tragic death of
Otis Redding leaves a palpable sadness as you read the reactions to the news of
the passing of a superstar whose career trajectory was rising quickly.
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